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From the age of puberty to that of menopause, a lot of ladies experience a monthly pain spanning over a few days associated with their menstrual period. This pain is generally known as menstrual cramps and medically as dysmenorrhea.
As a lady, menstruation occurs to prepare your body for a possible pregnancy. This leads to extra thickening of your uterus. If intercourse and fertilization do not occur, the extra thickening is no longer needed thus it will be shed as menstrual blood.
To ensure that this happens, the blood supply will be cut from reaching the extra thickened layer, thus depriving it of oxygen and other essential nutrients. Without blood, it will begin to die off and the body will respond by releasing some hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins.
This, together with the spasmodic movement of the uterus to expel the ‘unneeded’ extra uterine layer is the reason for the pain experienced especially in the first few days of menstruation.
A lot of ladies while experiencing period pains, rush to take Over-The-Counter drugs like Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Feldene and Diclofenac. While this will provide relief from the pain, its long term usage — especially without a prescription— is likely to do more harm than good. These drugs, known as NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs), could lead to diseases like peptic ulcer, aggravate gastric bleeding, and cause indigestion, diarrhoea, heartburn among others.
Now that you know this, it will be wise to switch to natural methods that will provide relief from the cramps without exposing you to more diseases.
While some of these menstrual cramp natural remedies are yet to be proven scientifically, a lot of ladies have attested to their effectiveness in getting relief. This includes:
This is done by gently applying a heating pad over the area. You can do this locally by filling a bottle with hot water, wrapping the bottle in a piece of clean cloth then rubbing it gently on your lower abdominal area, and sometimes back and thighs. A hot water compress (using a piece of clothing) or hot shower can also be done.
There are also other ways of making a heating pad.
The heat helps to relax the spasmodic uterine muscles and also improves blood flow. This helps a lot with the pain. A lot of women that use this method have found it to be very effective in getting rid of menstrual cramps.
Body water is sometimes lost through vomiting and diarrhoea during menstruation. The cramps can be made more severe as a result of dehydration. Therefore, taking enough water helps to reduce the symptoms and is generally good for the health.
NB: Alcohol consumption should be avoided because it also causes dehydration.
While exercise is generally recommended due to its numerous health benefits, it is also one of the menstrual cramp natural remedies. Performing exercises especially a few days before the period and within the first few days of the period has proven to be helpful.
Yoga is also a good substitute.
This age-long Asian practice has been recorded to help reduce body pain by calming the nervous system. The practice of puncturing certain areas of the skin (acupuncture) and applying pressure on certain parts of the body (acupressure), both helps to get relief from menstrual cramps.
It is recommended that one gets an expert first before going for this method.
Massaging the areas where the pain is felt, I.e. the lower abdominal area, thigh and lower back, is also helpful. This is because blood flow is improved and the muscle is relaxed.
Massaging the area by using essential oils like lavender is said to give better results.
Drinking warm tea has also proven to be helpful. However, the tea must be caffeine-free, because caffeine worsens the symptoms. Herbal tea is preferred due to the antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects of the herbs.
A good example is ginger and mint tea.
Foods rich in nutrients like Vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iron reduce bloating, ease the pain and replace nutrients lost during menstruation. Food rich in fibre is also recommended.
You need to avoid or reduce the intake of excess sugar, fats and salts as all these aggravate the symptoms. You should consult a dietician to design a suitable meal plan for you based on your financial strength.
Is there any other natural method you know of? Please do let us know in the comments section.
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